A Tale of Two Trials – Tapping for PTSD

Imagine walking down the street with your family. Your partner and kids run up ahead to buy some candy. And then a bomb explodes in the candy shop.

No survivors.

Veterans who return home from combat have lived through these types of experiences, along with many others, over prolonged periods of time - and they are as traumatizing as the above scenario.

Needless to say, many of these men and women come back from war wounded from that trauma.

What Exactly Is PTSD?

PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and it is the emotional fallout from deeply traumatizing experiences.

The National Institute of Mental Health says that to be diagnosed by a physician, a patient must have all of the following:

• At least one re-experiencing symptom (flashbacks or bad dreams)
• At least one avoidance symptom (staying away from people or places connected to the event)
• At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms (insomnia, sudden anger, or being easily startled)
• At least two cognition and mood symptoms (feeling guilty, carrying a negative self image, or not being able to enjoy life)

In 2015, a JAMA Psychiatry study confirmed that over 200,000 Vietnam War veterans still have PTSD. With numbers of deployed troops in Afghanistan and Iraq continuing to rise, it’s clear that an effective treatment is necessary for the sake of both the individuals involved and our society as a whole.

A Study Gives Hope

Researchers have conducted many studies about the effectiveness of EFT on a variety of problems. One very compelling study was facilitated by Church and Hawk.

They found that the Emotional Freedom Technique effectively treated 30 veterans diagnosed with PTSD to the point where after treatment, 90% of the participants no longer met the diagnostic criteria, as compared to only 4% of the control group.

At the end of the study, the 29 individuals who were in the control group were then treated with EFT. After just three sessions, 60% of them no longer met the criteria for PTSD. This increased to 86% after three more treatments.

At six months, of the 49 participants remaining in both groups who had been treated with EFT therapy, 80% of them continued to remain below the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

This was a very significant study, given that most of the vets were healed in a very short period of time.

But could the results be repeated? The authors of a second study, which replicated the first, noted how important replication is in establishing a scientific body of knowledge. Also, “…replication of studies of EFT is particularly important since the reported therapeutic effects are both large and rapid, yet the procedure itself can evoke skepticism (Feinstein, 2009).” (Geronilla 38)

SECOND TIME AROUND: EFT for PTSD
Researchers in the second study recruited 58 veterans who met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. 26 in the control group received “treatment as usual” and the other 32 received six one-hour office or telephone Emotional Freedom Technique sessions or video conferencing calls. All 13 practitioners were certified in EFT and were instructed to use only EFT in the therapy.
For the EFT group, researchers asked patients to make a list of the traumatic events they had experienced for use in the treatment statements. Examples include being injured in an explosion, watching friends or colleagues die, or killing an enemy.  Researchers used the less intense events first, allowing the participant to gain trust and confidence in the process. Participants also included their thoughts and bodily sensations, which are a key piece of the EFT process.
Participants were also encouraged to use EFT between sessions to reduce intensity of distress.
After EFT six sessions, there was a significant reduction in all scores compared to scores at pre-treatment as well as scores after three sessions. Score reductions were maintained at three-month and six-month follow-ups. No significant differences were detected between scores after six sessions and follow-up scores after three months and six months, indicating durable improvements. The researchers found that these results replicated the first study and that this “…indicates that EFT is an evidence-based practice that is highly effective at reducing symptom severity in veterans with PTSD.” (Geronilla 37).
Not only did this replication study have the same findings as the first, it also was consistent with a meta-analysis (where researchers look at and analyze many studies on the same topic) that found EFT an effective treatment for PTSD in very short periods of time and with only four-six treatment sessions.

A KINDER, GENTLER PTSD TREATMENT
In other treatment modalities, PTSD patients are typically asked to remember in detail the traumatizing event. This can be extremely difficult for patients, and the therapist has to be extremely careful not to re-traumatize. Because patients create their own lists of events, EFT practitioners can ease gradually into the difficult memories, and tapping on the acupressure points actually triggers the body’s natural relaxation processes. “…EFT shows promise as a treatment for PTSD that is both effective and safe.” (Geronilla 39)

WEAKNESSES
Many of the veterans who initially agreed to participate ended up dropping out. A research study with a larger number of subjects would make a stronger case for EFT. Researchers suggest clinicians diagnose participants, before and after treatment. Finally, the alternative PTSD treatments, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or EMDR, could be used in the control group to provide a scientifically specific comparison of the modalities.

A Tale of Two Trials – Tapping for PTSD is courtesy of: http://tappingsolution.com

Ed’s Body Said “No” (Tapping for Crohn’s Disease)

A few weeks back, I was being interviewed by Dr. Ed Osburn for his podcast, “The Chiropractic Philanthropist”. He had invited me on to talk about my new book, “The Tapping Solution for Pain Relief” and I figured it would be a standard interview, explaining how tapping works, why it works so well for pain relief and how his listeners, mostly chiropractors, could use it with their patients as an adjunct to their work.

What I didn’t expect was when Dr. Osburn mentioned to me before we started recording that he had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2009 and had been in pain ever since. He told me it was something that he talked about openly on his podcast so I suggested that we explore tapping live on the podcast to see what might happen.

Now, that in and of itself is slightly remarkable, that I have SO much confidence in this technique and how I’ve seen it work again and again, that I’m willing to test it live on an interview. One might think it’s risky, or might say, “What happens if it doesn’t work, won’t you look silly?”  but I’ve just seen it work so often that I don’t seem to blink an eye anymore when it comes to putting it to the test!

We started the interview, and after I had covered the basics with Dr. Osburn, we moved on to demonstrate the process. He told me that his pain, as we talked, was a four out of ten and that it was like that most morning, with it increasing throughout the day. So we started tapping, first focusing on the pain itself and then going deeper, asking questions like, “If there was an emotion in your gut, what would it be?” .  We talked about “when it started” - what was going on in his life in 2009, and found a lot of “gold” to work with there.

When did it start?

Dr. Osburn shared that in 2009, he was running an extremely busy practice, training for a 100 mile race and just going, going, going non-stop. We tapped on some of the feelings around that time and also worked on what his life would be like if his pain went away completely. We identified some fears about the pain going away because if the pain went away…then he’d have to go back to his life in 2009, and he didn’t want that…

All this emotional conflict around the pain, all this turmoil, all this stress and fear was keeping his body from healing, and we worked to explore that and let it go. Within the 40 minutes we spent together on the podcast, only about 15 of them spent tapping, his pain went from a 4 out of 10 to a .5!!! Almost gone, he could barely feel it. We wrapped up the podcast and I offered to work with him for a few minutes longer, to see if we could get the pain down further.

After another 15-20 minutes of tapping, his pain was completely GONE! I was astounded. I continue to be every time I see this happens, because it’s just simply amazing. I asked him more about the pain, confirming that it was completely gone and asked him, “When was the last time you were pain free?” He replied, “2009”.

“Wait,” I said, “Just to be clear, you’ve been in pain constantly since 2009? Not one break?”

“Yes,” he said, “Even when I was on painkillers, I still felt the pain. This is the first time since 2009 that I’ve been pain-free.”

We were conducting the interview and session on video Skype, so I could SEE not only the relief on Dr. Osburn’s face, but also some confusion! How could this be happening! We signed off and I asked him to keep me appraised of what was happening and to continue tapping and going deeper.

I received this email from him the next day:

Yesterday was a very good day...I felt so much better I almost did not feel myself.

My wife was amazed (and so was I of course) --I was in my office in the afternoon for a consult and often I feel really crappy--but my energy was great and in fact I did not think about the discomfort or difficulties with heading to the practice once. Most often I am anxious and distracted--very unusual experience for me.

This morning I am about a 2/10....but that doesn't matter because I know there is a strategy or tool to help--where there really wasn't before--I have restored hope.

This stuff runs deep for me and I'd be very surprised of my healing did not require some work--I ran out yesterday and picked up your book "The Tapping Solution" at our local bookstore and I am determined to make this a daily ritual --there's many limiting beliefs to work on.

What’s most exciting to me about this email is that Dr. Osburn has found HOPE and is willing to continue to working. It’s a good sign that the pain was only at a 2, so it’s less than when we started, and with continued work I know he can help his body heal.

So if you’re dealing with a diagnosis that seems hopeless, if you’re in pain, or feeling fatigue or just not experiencing the health you most desire, then I urge you to pick up a copy of my new book, “The Tapping Solution for Pain Relief”: http://thetappingsolution.com/pain-relief-book/

Comment below: What are you struggling with? What does this article bring up in you?

The article Ed’s Body Said “No” (Tapping for Crohn’s Disease) was first seen on: www.tappingsolution.com

Weight Loss with Tapping

 

December is filled with celebratory foods and drinks that are good for our spirit but not so good for our waistline. Come January 1st the joy and carefree spirit of the holidays leave us and a drill sergeant moves into our head and tells us the fun is over and it’s time to diet.

This was the pattern I ran for years… and years. A new year equaled a new diet. Sure, the drill sergeant in my head made me feel awful but isn’t that what it takes to get results? It took me a long time to realize this approach doesn’t flatten my stomach but simply flattens my self-worth. You probably know that. How many times have you started a new year with a new diet only to find yourself in the last few weeks of January saying “I give up. This is too hard. Nothing works for me.” You then feel worse than when you started. The truth is, long-term weight loss is not possible or sustainable unless we make it pleasurable. We can’t make it pleasurable unless we tap away our self judgments and critical voice.

Here are a few tips to help you make this year your healthiest year yet.

At the end of this post you’ll find a tapping meditation that will help you incorporate all these tips.

1. Leave the pattern of panic behind

When we begin to panic about our weight the part of our brain called the amygdala begins to fire off the fight-or-flight response. This creates an overproduction of the hormone called cortisol. Studies have shown that an overproduction of cortisol increases appetite, sugar cravings and is directly linked to abdominal obesity. That drill sergeant isn’t helping you, it's making you fat!

The best way to kick that drill sergeant out of your head is to give it a voice while you tap. It’s really that simple. When you are able to become aware of you self-criticism and tap while speaking it to yourself, you’ll find that you can hear those words without feeling the physical sensation of anxiety. From that place you can choose a more loving thought and action that supports you

2. Forgive yourself

So your biggest arm work out this holiday season was opening a bottle of wine? The past is in the past. Next year you can learn healthier recipes and strategies to help support your body during the holidays. Beating yourself up over your past actions doesn’t prevent them from happening again, it simply robs you of the power in the present moment to make a change. Be gentle with yourself. Forgive.

3. Fall in love with the journey

If we focus on a strict goal with some made up deadline we then try to panic ourselves there by eating in a manner that’s restrictive and lacks joy. Un-pleasurable equals unsustainable. For real lasting weight loss we need to fall in love with the journey because health isn’t a destination but a decision we make every moment.

This isn’t really about a weight loss goal, this is about you showing up as your best self. It’s about eating foods that you love and help you thrive. It’s about moving your body because when there is movement in your body there is movement in your life. It’s about taking care of yourself because you have a deep appreciation for the amazing person you are. Once we fall in love with this process the results are better than we could have imagined.

Here is a tapping mediation to help you incorporate these three keys to create lasting weight loss with Tapping in the New Year:

Right click and save here to download this audio

From everyone here at the tapping solution, we wish you a happy and healthy new year.

With Love,

Jessica

P.S. -  Come this May I’m coming out with a new book, "The Tapping Solution for Weight Loss and Body Confidence." Watch this space. A lot more tapping goodness is on it’s way from me. ☺

[do action="weight-loss-tapping-2014"][/do]

The article Weight Loss with Tapping was originally published to: http://www.tappingsolution.com/

ACE Study and Weight Loss

I want to tell you about a fascinating research study that I came across recently...

Popular culture has long told us that weight is the result of choices we make. For decades we’ve been told that having difficulty with losing weight means we’re eating too much and exercising too little.

Problem is, that’s NOT what recent research is telling us.

Thanks to recent findings, we now know that physical health, including weight, is intricately connected with emotions. Sometimes those emotions can stem from past experiences.

In other words, it’s NEVER about what’s “wrong” with you, it’s about unresolved emotions and what your subconscious mind thinks is safe.

"Huh?", you’re probably asking yourself right now. "What does that even mean?"

It means that if your subconscious mind wants you to hold onto the weight, that’s exactly what will happen.

Even if you eat less and exercise more, the weight either won’t come off, or won’t stay off.

Let me explain...

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The Ace Study...

Much of this knowledge began with a huge and very important study called ACE.

It all started in 1985 in a weight loss clinic in San Diego run by Dr. Vincent Felitti, who was mystified by the 50% dropout rate amongst patients who were having great success losing weight.

Hoping to understand why this was happening, he began reviewing his patients’ medical records in more detail, and discovered something that shocked him.

His patients hadn’t gained weight slowly over time, as he’d assumed. Instead, they’d gained weight quickly over a shorter period of time. Often, that weight gain had happened soon after painful experiences had occurred in their lives.

His findings later led to the ACE study, which was conducted by the CDC with over 17,000 participants. The findings highlighted the dramatic impact adverse childhood experiences have on health, including weight, in adulthood.

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What the Ace Study means for you and your health...

Understanding the dramatic impact of adverse childhood experiences is something that the over 10,000 women Jessica has worked with in her Weight Loss & Body Confidence 7-Week online course have also discovered in their own journeys.

While taking the course, Carol realized that it was her relationship with her mother, not her weight, that needed her attention.

For years, Carol’s job had required her to move to a different state in the U.S. every few years. Through the tapping she did during the course, Carol realized that she gained more weight every time she moved closer to her mother.

Since early childhood, her mother had been what Carol called an “energy vampire.” During some of the tapping exercises in the course, Carol realized that weight had been her “armor.” For decades, her brain and body had been using weight as a shield against her mother’s negative, controlling influence.

After tapping through her anger at her mother, Carol no longer needed weight to protect her. By creating healthier boundaries with her mother, she could protect herself.

Once Carol’s subconscious mind understood that it was safe to let go of the weight, she was able to create a new relationship with her body and with food.

Then, for the first time in her life, weight loss didn’t’ feel like a struggle. Instead, weight began coming off naturally.

The same thing happened for Bobbie, Lena, Tara, and many, many others.

Once they tapped through unresolved emotions, some of which originated in the past, weight loss felt easier than it ever had.

It’s an important reminder that weight is NEVER about what you are or aren’t doing “right.”

As Jessica wrote in her New York Times best-selling book, The Tapping Solution for Weight Loss & Body Confidence…

You are NOT a problem that needs to be solved.

And in Jessica’s course, you can use tapping and other exercises to release emotions that are keeping you stuck in a place where sustainable weight loss seems impossible.

If you’re interested in learning more about this course, which begins on Monday, you can go here:

www.thetappingsolution.com/weight-loss/wl-program-int.html

So many of Jessica’s students have RAVED about the results they’ve gotten from this course.

Throughout the course (and beyond!), her students have also loved the opportunity to connect with a tribe of supportive, like-minded women.

As one student wrote,

“This group provides something I have been looking for for 54 years – acceptance. It is so powerful, and it helps me accept and love myself. It is safe to ask for help, and NO ONE has told me to try harder or suggested that what I bring to the table is not enough.”

(Please Note: This course is for WOMEN ONLY. Nothing personal, guys, but women’s experiences around weight is often very different from men’s.)

In addition to feeling more confident than ever before, as a result of this course, many of Jessica’s students have been able to make all kinds of positive changes in their lives, from deepening their relationships to starting new careers, and more.

As another woman expressed after completing the course,

“Thank you, Jessica, for tricking us with the title of this course. What I think you were really creating was a movement for empowering women to transform our lives, get our energies flowing, strut our stuff, make the world a better place, and fall in love with life… with the helpful side effects of losing weight and living longer, happier, healthier lives! Am I am so grateful!”

You can learn more here:

www.thetappingsolution.com/weight-loss/wl-program-int.html

Until Next Time... keep tapping!

Nick Ortner

The following article ACE Study and Weight Loss was originally published on: http://tappingsolution.com

Money and Spirituality – A Common Dilemma

All too often incredibility smart, caring people with amazing ideas and talents for transforming the planet hold themselves back from earning money because of a belief, conscious or unconscious, that it isn't spiritual to earn money or that if they earned a lot of money that they somehow would be corrupted or bad in some way.

They often times also believe that you can't be wealthy and be a good person, that you somehow have to do something bad to become wealthy.  And unfortunately in this day and age it's all too easy to turn on the news and hear about corrupt businessmen and politicians who have done something unethical to earn money.  Sadly, there is not enough news on all of the amazing wealthy people that are changing the world in powerfully positive ways.

When I wrote in 2010 on this topic, I was speaking on the issue that so many Tapping practitioners were facing and still face around not feeling that they should be charging for what they do, even though they are helping so many. This limiting belief that earning money is not spiritual has not only held back healers like Tapping practitioners and coaches but so many others in a wide range of industries.

Let me start off with a simple statement of fact that is important to note...

There are examples of both people doing unethical things to earn money in the world as well as people doing amazing, completely ethical things that are serving the world to earn money.  Money itself is not the determining factor in whether a person is good or bad.

If you disagree with that statement in any way, I think it's worth taking a look at where your beliefs on money have come from and how they're effecting you.

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Take a moment to think about your beliefs around money and spirituality.

Do you think you'd still be a good person if you had a lot of money?

Do you worry that you would somehow be corrupted?

What do you think others would think of you if you had a lot of money?

Do you think it's right or fair to earn a lot of money for helping people?

Or should you not be paid if you're working on helping people or other spiritual endeavors?

These are all important questions.

Let’s look at two scenarios that address this issue.  These are the two examples I used when I originally wrote on this topic:

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Case Study #1: Excited Potential Tapping Practitioner

Mary works for a financial services company, as an administrative assistant. She makes $45,000 per year, has good health benefits, and feels generally secure in her job. She doesn’t enjoy it one bit, but every other Friday she has her paycheck direct deposited into her bank account, and along with her husband’s salary, it makes ends meet.

She never has to ask for this money, every year or two she gets a small raise and she continues onwards. The subject of “money”, rarely comes up for her with regards to receiving it from her employer. She doesn’t question the work they do, the profits they are earning but is content to get her paycheck.

Mary discovers Meridian Tapping, and is thrilled with the results she gets for herself and her family members. She does more training, gets her hands on all the free resources she can, and begins to become quite proficient at tapping. She dreams of helping other people, but she just keeps doing “free” sessions.

People offer to pay her, they are delighted with the results, but she just “doesn’t feel right taking the money”. She believes the work was so much fun, so rewarding, that money shouldn’t be involved. More and more people start coming to her, and she says quietly to herself, “How I would love to do this full time!”

But when she sits down with her husband to discuss the subject of her leaving her job, the math just doesn’t add up. Her husband says, “If you charged $75 per hour and had three clients per day, for 50 weeks out of the year, we would be around your current salary, including benefits, and other perks”

“$75 per hour???” Mary says, “There is no way I could charge that, that’s not right at all. I would feel completely uncomfortable”

Her husband replies, “Do you think what you’re providing is worth $75 per hour?”

Mary, “Well, people do get amazing results faster than anything else they do. I worked with someone the other day who had spent 5 years in therapy, and over $10,000, and we collapsed her issue in one session! But.... It still wouldn’t “feel” right, I just can’t charge for this...”

So there, sadly, the story ends. Mary’s limiting belief about receiving, about charging money for her healing work leaves her at her unfulfilling job.

The consequences of this belief are profound.

And not just for Mary, but for the hundreds of people she could have helped... If only she had been able to accept the fact that money, that the energy of money, is a reality of this earthly experience, and that learning to ask for it and accept it when providing healing services can change the world.

Are you a “Mary”? How many “Marys” could be out in the world right now, changing lives on a daily basis?

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Case Study #2: A dream, a vision, and “money”....

The first case study was hypothetical, though I’ve seen real life examples over and over again. This story is as real as it gets, because it’s my story! Just over four years ago now, I had the dream, the inspiration, to make a documentary film about Tapping. I had seen the results in my life and the lives of my friends and family over and over again, and felt that the world needed to know more about this!

Mind you, I had NO experience in film-making, NO equipment, NO staff, just the dream... But I set off to make the film anyway. I was committed to the vision and the dream but I was ALSO practical about the financial side of it. You see, to make the movie, I had to invest $150,000 of money I didn’t have! I put it all on credit cards and credit lines, maxed to the hilt. I went to friends and family to borrow money. I recruited friends and family to work on the film. Jessica Ortner, my sister and one of the producers, and Nick Polizzi, my close friend, director and editor worked for nothing for over two years.

They too were committed to the vision, the dream, the experience, but they also knew at some point that the film would have to be financially feasible, that they would be rewarded for their efforts, so they could pay back the credit card debt they had accrued and be able to continue in this work.

I WISH that when I came up with this idea, I could have called the mortgage company, the credit card companies, the local grocery store, the insurance company, the car company, the phone company, the electric company, the heating company...

And said to them, nicely, “Dear Sirs, I’ve just come up with a fantastic idea that I truly believe is going to change the lives of millions of people around the world. I want to share the knowledge about an incredible technique and do it in a documentary format, so people could see real results that they could use to change their lives. It will truly be for the betterment of humanity and I’ll even give you copies of the film when it’s done!”

Then they could have said to me, “Great idea Nick! We’ll stop charging you for everything you need to live, so you can put this plan into action!”

Unfortunately....

The game doesn’t really work that way!

So if I was to make it work, to pay back the $150,000+ (the final budget of the film), to be able to sustain myself and my family, I simply had to make it financially feasible. Which meant I had to do everything I could to not only create a superior product (and fortunately the reviews on our website and Amazon.com show that the end product is powerful and changing lives), but I also had to do everything I could to SELL it.

Oh! Another dirty word! SELL!

Ugh... Icky.....Dangerous....

No, it’s not. It’s reality.

If I wanted to make this whole dream work, I simply had to be able to sell the film, and sell other things. Otherwise, I’d have to be like Mary, and go back to a “job”.

Because of all of the work I've done helping others I've been able to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations I really believe in, like Project Light which is using EFT with genocide survivors in Rwanda, the Veterans Stress Project using EFT with war veterans, the Unstoppable Foundation, building schools in Africa and the You Can Thrive Foundation helping women in NYC who are dealing with cancer.

I wouldn't have been able to do any of these things if I had thought that it wasn't right for me to make money or that it wasn't spiritual.  The truth is that I think I'm a more spiritually ground and honest person now then I've ever been.  And I think that I've done more to help people around the world in the last couple years then I did in the 10 years before that and all while making more money then I've ever made before.

Whether you have a business or a job, every day you have little decisions where you can choose to do the right thing to earn money, or you can choose to do the wrong thing.  For example in my business, in a mostly "online" world, I have the choice to sell products and courses in a way where I'm educating people on what I'm offering and then giving them the choice as to whether it's right for them or not, or I can choose to use techniques that are manipulating to convince them to buy.

I'm literally faced with that choice every day.  And if you're in business or within your job, you have similar choices every day.  You can choose to do things in a way where your goal is to help people and serve them while making money, or you can do things in a way where you're focus is on making money first.

But ultimately, how much money you charge or earn is not the issue.  If you're doing things in a way that is serving the world and helping others then you deserve to have as much money as you want!

So you see, it all “works” when everyone gets in alignment with the energy of money. When we stop bickering about someone “selling” healing, or how it should all be free. :)

I’ve been saying recently that the BEST thing that can happen in any industry is for people to figure out how to make BILLIONS of dollars doing things that serve humanity.

If you have ideas and a passion for something that helps others and helps yourself, then don't let anything stop you.  Don't hold back your unique gifts from the world.  You deserve to have everything you've ever wanted.  :)

So, your blog question for today is...

What limiting beliefs might you have about money or selling?

Are you ready to tap those away?

Is it OK for people to make a lot of money?

Are you finally ready to unplug from what the rest of society tells you and blaze your own trail?

Comment below!

Until next time...

Keep tapping!

Much love,

Nick

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The following post Money and Spirituality – A Common Dilemma was first published to: The Tapping Solution's Blog

Shhhh… Don’t Tell Anyone… (How to nurture an idea)

Perhaps it's just because of my "story"…

About how I had this crazy idea to make a documentary film about EFT Tapping, with no filmmaking experience, limited funds (my personal credit cards!) and no initial team...

And yet somehow managed to get the film out into the world, create the Tapping World Summits, and write a NY Times best-selling book… people ask… "HOW???"

"How did you do it?"

Obviously, there were a lot of elements to this journey that just can't be covered in one blog post (though I do share more of that journey in my book, but here I'd like to share one that I found and continue to find VITALLY important.

It's a place where a lot of people struggle, and where, frankly, some amazing ideas find their way into the idea graveyard or garbage can, never seeing the light of day.

It's a crucial point in time, in the process of creating a grand vision…

It's… right… in… the… beginning….

The... birth… of… this… fresh… young… tender… idea…

The Birth of an Idea...

You know the feeling: Ahh… inspiration!  You're relaxed, you're taking a bath or a shower, you're walking in the woods… and it hits you!  What if I create this?  What if I start this?  What if I change this?  What if I do this?

And it's an exciting time!  Yes!  This is it!  This is going to be great… this is going to change the world… this is going to change my life…. I'm going to do it!

Now… hit "Pause" on that scene, because this is a crucial time in the life of an idea.

You have two choices here:

A. Tell others about it, tell the world about it, and take action

B. Stay silent and take action

What choice would you make here?  What choice have you made in the past?

What do you think I'm going to recommend?  Well, the title of this blog post might have given that answer away, "Shhh…don't tell anyone…" :)

How to Nurture an Idea...

At this point in the lifecycle of an idea, I highly recommend you stay silent OR at the very most share it with one or two people who you REALLY, REALLY trust to give you positive feedback (though that can be really hard to find, so the preference is to stay silent!)

Why?  Because this little (eventually big!) idea is just a little seedling.  Like the young tender plants that my wife Brenna and I (mostly her!) plant and nurture inside for spring planting, we must get them strong and ready to be in the ground.

They need just the right amount of water, just the right amount of light, just the right amount of air…

So does your IDEA.

Let's play out the opposite scenario, where you share your idea with someone, especially when it's young, not fully formed, tender…

You say, "Hey John! I just had this great idea to do X…" and John says, "Really?  Wow, I don't know about that, sounds like it would be really hard…"

Or even something a little bit more positive like… "That's a really cool idea, but you have to be aware of this…"

Or whatever John says that isn't 100% positive, nurturing and uplifting.  THIS is the place where ideas die.  THIS is the place where that initial enthusiasm gets squashed and you start questioning yourself, "Maybe John is right…"

(Important Note: Fortunately, with the power of Tapping, if you are in this place you can actually bring the idea back to life, by letting go of the limiting beliefs, the fears, what you heard, etc.  If you're not familiar with Tapping, you can learn about it here.

What's crazy about this moment in the life cycle of the idea is that someone could be positive, but even give you a "look" that deflates your enthusiasm… and… the idea withers.

We are, for better or worse, really influenced by our peers, our parents, our society (and again, you can tap on working to clear that influence!)

When to share your idea...

Now, let's be honest here, the strength of your idea WILL be tested at some point.  It's a given.  I'm not saying, "Never tell anyone about it!" because that's obviously impossible.  When I had the idea to make the film, I had to get buy-in from other people to support the vision.  I had to share the idea.

The key is to either:

A. Wait until you've thought about it more, started on the project (it's harder for people to squash something you've already started!), and moved further down the line.

B. When the idea does get tested, wherever it is in its life cycle, TAP to clear out any fear, limiting beliefs, etc, as per above.

When young plantlings are ready for the garden, they will thrive and grow because of the care we've taken with them in the beginning.

Treat your ideas with that same tender care, and they will flourish, come to life, and manifest in this world!

"It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world." - Aristotle

(my addition to the quote: "So it's not about having the idea, it's about nurturing it to grow and spread in the world!)

Make sure to leave your comments, what direction you think you've taken in the past, and what direction you think you'll take going forward.

Have you had a great idea that perhaps you shared a little too soon, and weren't happy with the reaction of others? How did that make you feel? Did you tap on it?  What do you think about keeping the idea to yourself until it grows and strengthens?  Comment below!

 

The following blog post Shhhh… Don’t Tell Anyone… (How to nurture an idea) is available on: The Tapping Solution

Tapping Meditation: Quieting the Voice That Says, “You Are Not Enough”

Do you sometimes hear a little voice inside you that says, “You’re not enough”?

I sure do.

And I used to hear it a lot more before I used Tapping to acknowledge, quiet, and transform that voice.

(Notice how it’s not all gone for me. It’s a whisper now, and usually it’s pointing to another place to heal, which I welcome and acknowledge.)

Back to the little voice inside YOUR head. What does it say? And how is it robbing you of your health, happiness, and abundance?

What’s crazy about this voice is that it’s not a product of outside circumstances.

I’ve worked with "A" list celebrities, people whose lives you’d look at and say, "Well, surely they don’t have this problem. They’re confident, rich, and have everything going for them..."

But sure enough, they’ve got that little voice as well, and it robs them of the inner peace they most desire.

So... You’re Not Alone.

And... We Can Do Something About This Voice. :)

To help you get started, here’s a free Tapping Meditation called "Quieting the Voice That Says, ‘You Are Not Enough’".

It normally sells for $20, but it’s my gift for you today because I think it’s time for that voice to be silenced, so that you can live your best life!

   

(I’ve also included the transcript if you’d rather read and tap along.)

And please do let me know what comes up for you as you do this Tapping.

If you’re new to Tapping and realize that NOW is the best time to get started, you can learn the basics in minutes here.

AND... my NY Times bestselling book, “The Tapping Solution” goes into even more detail on this topic. So if you haven’t already, you can pick up your copy here.

Until next time...

Keep Tapping!

Nick Ortner

P.S. Make sure to share this meditation with anyone you know who you think needs help with that voice. They’ll thank you for it!

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What did this meditation bring up for you? Comment below!

Tapping Meditation: Quieting the Voice That Says, “You Are Not Enough” was originally published to: http://www.tappingsolution.com/

Do Your Kids Have School Anxiety?

A few years back, my brother Alex had an experience that would greatly influence our direction with Tapping. It was so profound because it was something we ALL could relate to at some point in our young lives.

I'll let Alex tell the story in his own words...

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I remember sitting on the couch with my wife Karen, having finally gotten our three young kids to bed, and saying to her, "Nobody told us that it would be like this!" We were heartbroken about a conversation we'd just had with our oldest son Malakai...

After having gotten our two younger kids to bed, Lucas and Olivia, we'd had a conversation with Malakai, 6 years old at the time, where he'd told us that he was nervous and scared every day at dismissal about missing the bus.

The chaos of everyone getting their things together, along with the muffled sounds of the buses being called over the loudspeaker, was putting him into a panicked state every day.

As parents, we have a constant desire to protect our kids, to keep them safe, healthy and happy. But the reality of life makes this impossible, and thus keeps our nervous systems — to put it mildly — on edge. :)

So what do we do when our child comes home anxious about missing the bus, or upset about being left out of a game at recess, or nervous about doing poorly on a test, or any of the dozens of other events that can happen to upset our child and throw off their confidence, happiness, and ability to learn and grow?

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There is one simple technique that I have found to be instrumental in rebalancing my children, and those whom I've shared this with, that has been scientifically proven to work... and that's Tapping!

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The reality is that our children are under more pressure and stress than ever before (as are we as adults!). The childhoods we remember... are not the same as the childhoods our children are currently experiencing.

Which means that we as parents have a bigger responsibility than ever before to be there to help them as they move through the emotional landscape of growing up.

After listening to Malakai tell us about his end of day anxiety about possibly missing his bus, we knew that doing some Tapping would help. We asked him if he'd be willing to do the Tapping with us and he said yes!

We went through the Tapping process, focusing on how he was feeling every day at school during dismissal, and Tapping on each of the points he'd learned from the Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs book.

By the end of the process, he was feeling much better, and there was a clear difference in how he looked and talked about dismissal. He went to bed easily after the Tapping and after that night, we gave it a few days before we brought it up again.

But one day after school as I walked him back from the bus stop, I asked him, "How's dismissal going? Are you still nervous about it every day?" His response was just a shrug and a, "No, it doesn't bother me anymore."

SUCCESS!! With just a few minutes of Tapping, he had released the stress and anxiety he'd been dealing with every day about dismissal.

I emailed his teacher that night, who was also keenly aware of his stress about the end of day routine, and she confirmed that he had been acting and feeling completely differently over the last few days.

These simple, yet extremely powerful shifts in our children's experience, can be life-altering. Think about your own childhood for a minute... are there some negative emotions or experiences you wish you could have resolved from your childhood? I'd love to read your comments below.

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Stress Relief for Children

One of the things I'm most proud about in sharing Tapping with the world is that we're not just talking theory or solely doing things online - it's actually getting Tapping to the places that matter!

And one of the best places to share Tapping is in schools, with kids who need it the most...

Watch that happen before your eyes in this powerful video:

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Limited Time Only! Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs Bonuses

For a limited time, until next Friday, we're giving away some very special bonuses if you pick up a copy of my brother Alex's Tapping for kids book, "Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs: A Tapping Solution Children's Story".

Learn more here.

Amazon Reviews:
5 out of 5 stars: I love love love this book
I love love love this book. I have just started learning about Tapping and thought What a great idea to teach my 9 year old to do it too. The book was a hit with her she loved the story and animations as well as it made it so easy for her to learn how to Tap. Highly recommend it for every age level even adults. :)

5 out of 5 stars: Yes the little boy I purchased it for loves reading...
Yes the little boy I purchased it for loves reading it and does the tapping along with it...his mother has found him reading quietly by himself a number of times. He is only four years old!!!

5 out of 5 stars: This is a great book for teaching the whole family relaxation and self...
This is a great book for teaching the whole family relaxation and self care tools. With several pages of specific applications at the end. My 6-year old nephew got it for Christmas (from me:) and the whole family enjoys practicing Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs! So grateful for this book!

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What negative experiences and events from your own childhood do you wish you could have eliminated? Comment below!

Do Your Kids Have School Anxiety? is republished from: The Tapping Solution

Stress Relief for Children

One of the things I'm most proud about in sharing Tapping with the world is that we're not just talking theory or solely doing things online - it's actually getting Tapping to the places that matter!

And one of the best places to share Tapping is in schools, with kids who need it the most...

Watch that happen before your eyes in this powerful video:

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Limited Time Only! Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs Bonuses

For a limited time, until next Friday, we're giving away some very special bonuses if you pick up a copy of my brother Alex's Tapping for kids book, "Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs: A Tapping Solution Children's Story".

Learn more here.

Amazon Reviews:
5 out of 5 stars: I love love love this book
I love love love this book. I have just started learning about Tapping and thought What a great idea to teach my 9 year old to do it too. The book was a hit with her she loved the story and animations as well as it made it so easy for her to learn how to Tap. Highly recommend it for every age level even adults. :)

5 out of 5 stars: Yes the little boy I purchased it for loves reading...
Yes the little boy I purchased it for loves reading it and does the tapping along with it...his mother has found him reading quietly by himself a number of times. He is only four years old!!!

5 out of 5 stars: This is a great book for teaching the whole family relaxation and self...
This is a great book for teaching the whole family relaxation and self care tools. With several pages of specific applications at the end. My 6-year old nephew got it for Christmas (from me:) and the whole family enjoys practicing Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs! So grateful for this book!

Stress Relief for Children was originally published to: The Tapping Solution

another test

another test was originally published to: http://tappingsolution.com/

Is the story you’re telling yourself just an illusion?

A few weeks back, my friend Brendon Burchard came to Connecticut to visit. (You might know him as the NY Times bestselling author of “Motivation Manifesto,” amongst other great books).

We had a wonderful family BBQ at our house with both my siblings, Gabby Bernstein (“The Universe Has Your Back”) and Nick Polizzi (“The Sacred Science”) as well. It was a Hay House gang gathering!

The next day, we went in to NYC for some entertainment. I was excited to take them to a new off-Broadway show, which my cousin was involved in producing, called, “Derren Brown: SECRET”.

I’d seen Derren’s work on TV before and loved it! I'd also heard rave reviews about his show.

It’s virtually impossible to explain what happens in the 2-hour show, but basically, he’s a mentalist/illusionist/magician. It was an intimate setting, with 200 people in a small theatre, making what happened feel even more powerful.

One of the “themes” of the show that Derren kept bringing up is, “What you think you’re seeing tonight is about the story you’re telling yourself, not necessarily about what’s happening”.

He kept on reiterating that he wasn’t a mind-reader, he wasn’t doing the impossible, it just looked that way, and that was in part because of the narrative that each audience member was constructing about what they were witnessing happen.

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What you think you’re seeing tonight is about the story you’re telling yourself, not necessarily about what’s happening.

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Can you see the places in your life this might be happening? The places where we tell a story about ourselves, where we believe something is true, that maybe isn’t? The areas where you’ve been saying, “I am this way…” for so long that it’s become a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Whatever your biggest challenges are in your life, it’s my bet that there are some “beliefs” that are keeping you stuck in them.

Trouble sleeping? “I’m not a good sleeper.” Trouble with money? “I’ve never been good at managing money.” Trouble with your body? “My body doesn’t heal the way other peoples' bodies do.”

On and on it goes…

Now that’s the bad news. These beliefs are keeping you stuck. The good news is that we now have the power, at your fingertips, to rewrite these beliefs, to stop these patterns of thinking in their tracks. It can be as simple as identifying that limiting belief, and tapping on it.

And with those taps, we slowly (and sometimes quickly), begin to tell NEW stories about ourselves.

The run of Derren’s show just ended, but the producers are trying to bring it to Broadway, and if that happens, I’ll be sure to let you know about it because it’s just that good.

I’ve thought about the ending of the show virtually every day since. It’s a grand finale that just makes you go, “WHAT????” LOL!

I wish I could tell you more, but Derren made us promise to keep it all a “Secret” and not ruin it for others. Plus, there are so many threads that pull together in the end, it’s too difficult to even explain!

I will tell you a little part of the show, though, that I don’t think he’d mind me sharing. At one point, he brought out a banana and put it on a brass stand on the front corner of the stage, with a spotlight shining on it.

It was as visible as could be, especially in that small audience. He told us, that at one point during the show, a man in a large gorilla suit would walk on stage and take the banana. And of course, we’re all thinking, no way we'd miss that!

Well, sure enough, the banana disappeared - TWICE! It was simple, and doesn’t explain the power of the rest of the tricks, but a great example of how we can miss what’s right in front of us.

So my questions for you today are, “What story are you telling yourself that might not be true?” Where is your attention focused and how might your life change if you could focus it elsewhere, in a more positive direction?"

If you want to check out Derren’s work further, here’s a full show (different than the one I saw but still very entertaining), that he did a while back:

It's worth a watch!

Until next time…

Keep Tapping! (and writing new stories about yourself!)

Nick Ortner

Is the story you’re telling yourself just an illusion? was originally published to: The Tapping Solution, LLC

Overcoming Fibromyalgia – A Case Study

Want to see what's possible when you use Tapping for an autoimmune disorder?

Then check out this short 5-minute video with Jodi who used Tapping to overcome fibromyalgia.

This video is part of our amazing Tapping for Autoimmune Disorders program. We know that investing your time and money into ANY program to improve your health is a big step. That's why we've provided all of these other FREE resources for you as well.

Check them out below. Tapping could be your answer to achieving vibrant health!

How to Use EFT Tapping to Rebalance Your Body and Mind to Overcome Autoimmune Disorders with Dr. Kim D'Eramo

A Guided Tapping Meditation to Support You in Befriending Your Body with Jessica Ortner

Overcoming Autoimmune Disorders with Tapping Exercise with Dr. Kim D’Eramo

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To see what's in the entire The Tapping Solution for Autoimmune Disorders program, click below!

The following article Overcoming Fibromyalgia – A Case Study was originally published on: The Tapping Solution

Is there a link between autoimmunity and personality traits?

I just read a GREAT article that explores the idea that common personality traits could be linked to autoimmune disorders.

Besides the listing of the 15 traits (check to see which ones you match up with), I really appreciated the 3 disclosures because they address the pushback that some people might have to this concept.

If you’re struggling with any sort of autoimmune disorder (or really any health challenge), I think you’ll appreciate this read:

My Autoimmunity + Personality Theory: Could Common Personality Traits Be Linked to Autoimmunity?

After you’ve read it, comment below and let me know if you agree with the blog's premise.

One of the things that I think is SO important to remember when linking stress, emotions, or our personalities to ANY sort of disease, is to acknowledge that they are only contributing factors. It doesn’t mean having "this" trait equals "this" disease.

It means that having this trait + this genetic predisposition + these lifestyle choices = might potentially acquire this disease.

We try to make things black and white and it doesn’t serve us, because then we just try to fix or address one aspect of the challenge.

So whatever you’re struggling with today, just think about it in terms of, “What are the various factors that might be contributing to this current state of being, and what can I do to start to change them?”

When it comes to autoimmune challenges, we’ve seen incredible results over the past year with our "Tapping Solution for Autoimmune Disorders" program.

It’s on sale for the next 6 days, so if this is something you’re struggling with, I highly suggest you check it out asap.

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Do you agree with the blog? Comment below!

Is there a link between autoimmunity and personality traits? is republished from: The Tapping Solution's Blog